At A Glance

5 January 1998 at a glance

Day of the week
5 January 1998 was a Monday.
Billboard Hot 100 No. 1
The Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 was “Candle in the Wind 1997 / Something About the Way You Look Tonight” by Elton John.
Top Film of 1998
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1998 was Armageddon.
Bestselling Novel of 1998
“The Street Lawyer” by John Grisham was No. 1 on Publishers Weekly's US fiction list for 1998.
Top-Rated TV Show
“ER” (NBC) was No. 1 in the Nielsen ratings for the 1998–99 season.
Star sign
The star sign for 5 January is Capricorn.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 5 January 1998 fell in the Year of the Ox.
Birthstone
The birthstone for January is Garnet.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 5 January 1998 was First Quarter.

On this day: 5 January

  • 1991 Georgian forces enter Tskhinvali, the capital of South Ossetia, Georgia, opening the 1991–92 South Ossetia War.
  • 1991 Somali Civil War: The United States Embassy to Somalia in Mogadishu is evacuated by helicopter airlift days after the outbreak of violence in Mogadishu.
  • 1993 The oil tanker MV Braer runs aground on the coast of the Shetland Islands, spilling 84,700 tons of crude oil.
  • 2005 The dwarf planet Eris is discovered by Palomar Observatory-based astronomers, later motivating the International Astronomical Union (IAU) to define the term planet for the first time.
  • 2014 A launch of the communication satellite GSAT-14 aboard the GSLV MK.II D5 marks the first successful flight of an Indian cryogenic engine.

Famous people born on January 5

  • Suki Waterhouse, English actress, singer-songwriter, and model (born 1992)
  • Vinnie Jones, British footballer and actor (born 1965)
  • Diane Keaton, American actress, director, and businesswoman (1946–2025)
  • Bradley Cooper, American actor and producer (born 1975)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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Events of 1998 in the United States

A selection from Wikipedia's '1998 in the United States'. Not a complete list.

  • April 7 – Citicorp and Travelers Group announce plans to merge, creating the largest financial-services conglomerate in the world, Citigroup.
  • June 19 – Walt Disney Pictures' 36th feature film, Mulan, is released to very positive reception and commercial success.
  • June 25 – Microsoft releases Windows 98 (First Edition).

Life in the US in 1998

President

Bill Clinton

Gas (per gallon)

$1.06

Loaf of Bread

$1.02

Average House

$152,000

Weekly Wage

$524

Or

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Famous Faces Born in the 1990s

Well-known people born in the same decade as you, not on your birthday.

Sources: Wikidata and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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